Fastener



May 2s, 192s. l 1,586,126

l G. F. STORM FASTENER Filed oct. 14, 1925v /S Zd /8 Z zing/1,150?" @wenn 55.2%@ J5 @a Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES l l y t maar oFricE.

GUSTAV F. STORM, F SANBORN, 10ML/t..`

i FASTENER.

Application filed October 14, 1925. Serial No. $2,469.

tion with a corset, apair of garters, or the` like.

An object of my invention is to provide a fastener' adapted to be secured to an upper garment and to receive a lower garment, the fastener being so constructed that it may be attached to the lower garment at a considerable distance below the edge thereof without wrinlrling the garment.

Another object is to provide such a fastener in which all metallic and non-flexible portions of the 'fastener are positioned bcyond the outer surface of thenether garmeut when the fastener is applied thereto.

A further objectI is to provide such a fastener which is of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More specifically, my invention is embodied in a fastener having an eye supported from an upper garment by means ,of a strap, or the like, and having a button adapted to be enclosed by a portion of the lower garment and thereupon passed through the eye, the eye being provided vwith a jaw member adapted to receive the button and the fold of the garment, and with a novel latch device to prevent undesired removal of the button from vengagement with the jaw.

In order to provide for attachment tothe lower garment at adistance below the edge thereof, a novel means of suspending the button from the upper garment is provided, comprisinga flexible cord attached to the strap which suspends the eye at its upper extremity, and having at its lower end the button.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, ar rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a. portion of an upper and lower garment, secured together by means of my improved fastener.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the eye.

Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the same.

Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view through the saine, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the attachment of the button to the suspending cord.

One of the objections to the ordinary fastener used to support mens hose is the metallic plate which is used in that portion of the fastener which contacts with the leg on the inner sideV of the sock.' This plate is ordinarily covered by a fabric so as to protect the leg` against direct contact therewith, but the pressure of the unyielding plate is, however', ordinarily sufficient to give a certain amount of discomfort. Such a plate is ordinarily used in order to support the but-- ton which passes through the open member or eye forming the other portion'of the fas tener and to maintain it in proper relation therein so that it will not become disengaged therefrom.

I have found with the construction which l will now describe that the necessity for the metal plate and its corresponding objections may be eliminated.

Further, with such a construction, a wide foldof the nether garment may be receiver by the fastener without wrinkling.

ln Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown portions of an upper garment, 10, and a nether garment,

.1.1, secured together by the'fastener, which comprises generally an eye, A, rand a but ton, B. The eye is supported by a fabric strap, or the like, 12, which issecured as at 13, to the upper garment, and the button, B, is supported by a flexible cord, or the like, 14, which is secured to the strap, 12, at its upper end and therefore secured to the garment, 10, with the same stitching as the strap, 12.

The eye, A, is formed of a length of spring wire, having the converging sides, and 16, connected by a jaw, 17, having substantially parallel sides closely spaced.

At its upper end the arm, 16, is Jbent toward the arm, 15, as at 18, and thence looped back upon itself, as at 19. The end of the arm, 15, is looped through the loop thus formed, as at 20, to form a completely closed eye. The end of the portion, 19, is bent downwardly and toward the arm, 15, at an angle greater than that of the arm, 16, to form the straight portion of the latch 21. The lower end of the latch isformed by a circular loop, 22, which receives the arm, 16, as shown, to limit its movement toward the arm, 15.

rlihe latch, 21, is held under tension by the loop, 22, and tends to at all times close the gap between the arms, 16 and 15. The arm, 16, is bent to form a shoulder, 23, which positions the arm, 16, and the jaw, 17, in different planes so as to allow the loop, 22, to cross the arms on opposite sides thereof, as shown.

The strap, 12, is looped around the portion, 19, and back upon itself, and is adjustably secured by a coinn'ion clasp, 24, which may be slid upon the underneath portion of the strap, 12.4

The button, B, is formed of a ball of rubber, or the like, and a cord, 111, is secured in the center thereof.

ln use the eye, A, is pla-ced against the outer surface of the nether garment, 11, and the button, B, is pushed against the rear surface thereof, so as to bring a fold of the material through the upper portion of the eye, A, in the ordina-ry manner. The button is then urged downwardly, causing the latch, 21, to spring back until the button has been received between the sides of the jaw, 17, whereupon the latch will spring back and lock the button in place.

The lower side of the loop, 22, is so curved that with suflicient pressure the button may be forced upwardly against the action of the latch without pressing the latch with the lingers, although it is ordinarily simpler to release the button by engaging the latch with the lingers.

The latch isv very resilient, due to 'its length. That is, not only the latch, 21, tends to spring; outwardly, but the arm, 19, is allowed to spring` upwardly to a certain e2;- tent, due to its being spaced from the memn ber, 18, as shown. Although the latch is very resilient, it is found that ordinary pressure caused by varying strains between the garments and the fastener while the garment is being; worn will not suffice to'open the latch, since the pressure against the latch by the button is so directed that there is very little tendency to open the latch.

The cord, 111, may be made long enough to reach the j aw, 17. at the most extended'position of the strap, 12, and when the Strap, 12, is shortened, the cord, 14, will merely hang downwardly in a slack position, as indicated at 2G in Fig. 1. Thus the cord, 1&1-, automatically adapts itself to any length of strap, 12.

1t will further be noted that the tension of the cloth will maintain the button, 13, in engagement with the jaw so as to prevent slipping of the cloth around the button, so that the only function of the cord, 141-, is to otter a periV anent connection with the upper garment and with the fastener.

'lhe unyieldine portions of the fastener are 1vosi'iioned entirely beyond the outer surface of the nether garnient, as shown in Fig. 1. The cord, 141, is of such flexible material that it will not irritate the skin of the wearer. Due to the tiexibility, thinness and length of the cord, 1-1, a much thicker layer of material may be received through the jaw, 17, and around the button, B, than in the old type fastener where the button is secured by a rigid neck and plate to its supporting strap.

The device may be applied to gai-ters, corsets, o any articles of wearingT apparel ein ployinp` such fasteners.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangen'ient of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may 3e reasonably included within its scope.

I claim as my invention:

In a fastener, an eye having a constricted jaw portion, and a latch, the eye and latch being` formed of a single length of spring wire bent to form two converging arms connected by said aw portion, one of said arms being looped back upon itself and thence inclined to a point closely adjacent the other arm, and thence provided with a ring rcceiving the arm which is looped back upon itself, to limit the movement of the latch toward the other arm, and the other arm being extended to meet said looped portion and secured thereto to form a completely closed eye said ring being disposed substantially parallel to the plane of the jaw.

Signed at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, this 9th day of October, 1925.

GUSTAV F. STORM. 

